We love this recipe and post from Jennifer Farley at Savory Simple – Enjoy!

I love enjoying yogurt pops during the hot summer months. They’re a healthy, easy-to-prepare snack that everyone loves! Strawberries add the perfect level of brightness, flavor and beautiful color, and I’ve packed a ton of them into this recipe. It feels like having dessert! I like using some granola for a bit of texture as well. While you could throw a bit extra into the pops themselves, they lose some of that texture when mixed with the yogurt. Sometimes as the popsicles begin to melt, I like to dip them in more granola for extra crunch!

There’s a reason I can never get enough strawberries. Just one serving of eight strawberries is packed with Vitamin C, fiber, potassium, folate and antioxidants. How could I not want to enjoy eight strawberries a day!

It’s always a good time for entertaining and I love using strawberries to create simple, light party snacks that my guests will love. I’m a firm believer that hosting gatherings should be fun for me in addition to the attendees so I never want to stress out over complicated appetizers. Fresh, flavorful ingredients are key. For this easy Strawberry Ricotta Crostini Recipe I’ve macerated sliced strawberries in citrus juice and paired them with ricotta cheese that’s full of fresh herbs.

This is a light snack that won’t be overly filling in warmer weather. And it’s healthy! Research suggests eating just 1 cup of strawberries a day may improve heart health, lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of some cancers and support brain function. How cool is that?

I used a combination of herbs from my garden (basil, mint and sage) but feel free to experiment. For example, if you are not a fan of sage, simply omit it! If you really love mint, add extra to taste.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast until crisp, 7-10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, mint, basil, sage, salt and pepper. In a separate medium bowl, combines the strawberries and citrus juices. Cover each bowl and place them in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes. Stir the berries occasionally.

Spread a generous layer of the herbed ricotta onto each slice of bread. Top with 3-4 strawberries. Top with the fresh herbs. Optional: drizzle with a small amount of the macerated strawberry juice (not too much or the bread might get soggy).

For the sweetest of days, it’s best to start thinking about desserts early on! Chocolate and strawberries are a perfect fit, and there’s no better way to say “I love you” than with this layer cake. It’s beautiful and sweet, just like that special someone in your life.

It’s also packed full of a whopping 4 cups of California Strawberries! Clinical research suggests that eating just one serving of eight strawberries is good for the whole body, promoting heart health, diabetes management, supporting brain health, and reducing the risk of some cancers. That’s pretty great for a dessert recipe, isn’t it? And since California Strawberries are available year-round, this cake is perfect not just for Valentine’s Day, but for any occasion that begs for a beautiful cake.

I’ve used an Italian meringue buttercream, which is slightly more advanced, but it also creates a much lighter frosting. It’s less dense. However, if you are new to baking layer cakes and the frosting looks overwhelming, feel free to use you favorite simple chocolate buttercream recipe. It will work perfectly well here!

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Sift in the cocoa powder and whisk to combine.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next one. Scrape down the bowl after the 2nd and final egg, all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Combine the half-and-half and vanilla. With the mixer on medium-low, swiftly alternate between adding the dry and liquid ingredients until just combined. Scrape down the bowl and then turn the mixer on again briefly to make sure there are no more dry patches.

Divide the batter between the two cake pans, leveling out the top. Bake for 33-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. Allow to cool completely.

While the cake is baking, prepare the macerated strawberries. In a medium bowl, stir together the sliced strawberries, sugar, and Grand Marnier, if using. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, stirring periodically.

Prepare the Buttercream:

Place the egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed to begin forming a soft peak.

Meanwhile, place the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-high, and cover until steam begins to form. Remove the cover and cook until the sugar syrup reaches the soft-boil stage, 235-240 degrees F.

Carefully pour the syrup down the side of the mixing bowl so that it slowly incorporates into the whipping egg whites. Then turn the mixer up to high speed. Continue mixing until the meringue reaches room temperature, approximately 15 minutes.

Once the meringue has cooled, turn the mixer to medium speed. Slowly add the butter, one piece at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl periodically. Once the butter has incorporated, drizzle in the vanilla extract, followed by the melted chocolate.

To frost, spread a generous amount of chocolate buttercream on top of one cake layer, followed by approximately ⅓ of the macerated strawberries (allow them to briefly drain first to keep the cake from becoming saturated). Top with the second layer of cake and cover generously with frosting. Top the cake with the remaining strawberries. Drizzle slices with the macerated strawberry liquid.

Notes

Italian meringue buttercream creates a light and airy chocolate frosting. However, any chocolate buttercream with work with this cake.

When people think of baking, certain produce automatically comes to mind: winter squash, apples, pears, etc. However, California strawberries are available year-round thanks to 400 family farmers who grow 90 percent of the nation’s strawberries. There’s no reason to exclude them from the holiday festivities! Have you considered swapping out some of the standard holiday cakes and pies with strawberries? You should.

It’s simple to swap strawberries into desserts where other fruits, like apples or pears, might typically be added. You can swap them evenly in your favorite recipes. Strawberries are juicier, so they might soften up some cake recipes a bit, but not enough that it would be necessary to alter the ingredient ratios. Apple bundt cakes often pop up at various holiday parties, which is why this strawberry bundt cake is a perfect example of #strawberryswaps.

This cake is not only full of sliced strawberries, it’s topped with juicy, macerated California strawberries as well. I’ve suggested using 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of sugar because strawberries will sometimes vary in sweetness level. The sweeter the strawberry, the less sugar you need. Grand Marnier adds a nice kick, but feel free to omit it if you don’t use alcohol in your recipes.

This bundt cake will be a hit at your holiday parties! Or any party throughout the year, thanks to the hardworking California strawberry farmers.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a 10-inch bundt pan, place on a sheet pan, and set aside.

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk and vanilla extract. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the orange zest and press it into the dry ingredients using clean fingers. This will help break up any clumps. Whisk the ingredients again to evenly distribute the zest.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl after the second and final egg.

With the mixer on medium-low, alternate between adding the wet and dry ingredients, starting and ending with the wet ingredients. Scrape the bowl all the way to the bottom to ensure that everything is fully incorporated. Stir in the strawberries by hand.

Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan, using a spatula to even out the top. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack.

While the is baking, prepare the topping. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the strawberries, sugar and liqueur, if using. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Whatever the occasion, you can use this Strawberry Pie to celebrate! During peak strawberry season in California – when the endless, beautiful fields of strawberries are at their finest – it’s the perfect time to use California Strawberries in your favorite recipes. Whether they’re sweet, savory, light or decadent, strawberries will make it all the better.

There’s something about homemade pie that makes it a top level comfort food, you know? Some of my earliest memories involve baking with my mom. We both adore homemade pie. Come Mother’s Day, I think she’ll love this version. It’s a perfect dessert to share on such a special day, for any day during National Strawberry Month or any other special days in your life!

Some pie recipes involve a lot of prep work with the fruit, but strawberries are very easy because they simply need to be hulled and macerated. If you’ve never macerated berries before, this simply refers to letting them sit in sugar long enough for their natural juices to come to the surface. It’s incredibly easy. Since strawberries are naturally sweet, this pie doesn’t need much sugar. You can add more or less to taste.

Place the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine the dry ingredients. Add the butter and pulse several more times until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal (a few larger bits here and there are fine).

With the machine running, add the cold water until the dough has just formed. It will still be crumbly but should form dough when pressed together.

Divide the dough into ⅔ and ⅓ portions, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least one hour or overnight.

For the Filling:

Rinse and hull the strawberries. Slice medium and smaller strawberries in half, while quartering larger berries, and place in a large bowl. Add the orange and lemon juice, zest, corn starch, and both sugars. Stir to combine, cover and place in the refrigerator. Allow the strawberries to macerate for 40-45 minutes, stirring periodically.

Prepare the Pie:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the bigger portion of pie dough to about 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place in a 9½ inch pie pan. There should be an overhang of at least 1 inch. Add the strawberry filling.

Re-flouring the surface if necessary, roll out the second portion of dough to approximately 10 inches in diameter. Cut 8 even strips, and layer them in a decorative lattice pattern over the strawberries. Cut off any excess overhang from the lattice, and then fold up the bottom overhang so that it sits on top of the strips. Use a fork to crimp the edge of the dough all the way around the pan.

Brush the cream on top of the lattice and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

Place the pie pan on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, lower the temperature to 375 degrees F, and cook for an additional 35-40 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden.

Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Strawberries may vary in sweetness depending on factors such as season, location and freshness. More or less sugar can be added to the pie filling as needed.